FAA Seeks to Modernize Flight School Regulations

Most of Part 141 was written 85 years ago when aviation was much simpler. Few aircraft had radios, navigation was mostly done by pilotage, airspace as we know it was nonexistent, and not many people pursued aviation as a hobby or a vocation. 

Recognizing the need for change, the agency held a public meeting March 6 during Redbird Migration 2025—the first in a planned series of meetings—to discuss changing the rules for flight schools. The topic of modernizing Part 141 generated spirited discussion at the annual flight training event of aviation educators, as older regulations do not account for innovation and technological improvements.

According to the FAA, the last major revision to Part 141 was in 1997 and “did not account for modern technology such as global positioning systems (GPS), electronic flight bags (EFBs), and flight simulators."

The need to improve aviation safety and incentivize training under Part 141 while complying with regulations set forth by the International Civil Aviation Organization was discussed as well.

Also on the table was making training more efficient, especially when it comes to pilot examining authority. One of the bottlenecks in the aviation industry is the time between completing training for a certificate or rating and completing a checkride. Many designated pilot examiners (DPEs) are scheduled out several months in advance, and many pilot applicants are forced to wait months for a checkride.

The agency noted there are approximately 500 Part 141 schools in the U.S..

The FAA will be conducting a hybrid meeting to discuss the modernization efforts in Atlanta on April 1-3. 

FAA said it expects to publish the finding report early next year, followed by implementation of policy improvements.